political stalemate

The issue of immigration might be Donald Trump’s biggest political boon ahead of the US election in November, but President Joe Biden went to the US-Mexico border this week to try to change the narrative. The FT’s Houston correspondent, Myles McCormick, and US political news editor, Derek Brower, join this week’s Swamp Notes to examine whose case voters find more convincing. Credit: Fox10, PBS NewsHour

Mentioned in this podcast:

Surge in border crossings creates political upheaval in the US

Joe Biden and Donald Trump head to Texas as immigration debate heats up

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Swamp Notes is produced by Ethan Plotkin, Sonja Hutson, Lauren Fedor and Marc Filippino. Topher Forhecz is the FT’s executive producer. The FT’s global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. Special thanks to Pierre Nicholson. 

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Congress has a job to do. But lately, some of the work on the Hill seems to have come to a standstill. There’s been drama over the debt ceiling, a Republican senator is holding up key military promotions, and now a government shutdown is looming. We’ll tackle the question of who is really to blame for all the governmental dysfunction and unpack the challenges of framing these issues in the media.

Here’s everything we talked about:

• • “Marines issue stand-down order amid search for missing F-35” from The Hill

• • “Congress is in crisis. There’s no clear escape” from Politico

• • “With democracy on the ballot, the mainstream press must change its ways” from The Guardian

Got a question for the hosts? Send them our way. We’re at 508-UB-SMART or email makemesmart@marketplace.org.

On Monday the prime minister revealed his big Brexit deal with the European Union, which aims to avoid a hard border across the island of Ireland and in the Irish Sea, as well as preserve sovereignty for people in Northern Ireland. But will it be enough to bring the DUP back to Stormont? And what exactly is the Stormont brake? 

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.

Guest: Oliver Wright, Policy Editor, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Clips: Sky News, The Guardian, The Telegraph, BBC Radio 4, BBC Newsnight, GB News, UK Parliament.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In March, Congress pushed through a relief package that preserved the U.S. economy during the pandemic. It felt like government functioning at its best.

But now, that money is running out and bipartisanship has given way to an ideological stalemate.

While Republicans balk at plans for further significant government spending — even those coming from the White House — Democrats are holding out for more money and a broader package of measures.

The absence of a deal could have dire consequences. One economist estimates that without a stimulus package, there could be four million fewer jobs next year.

We talk to Jim Tankersley, who covers the economy for The Times, about what’s getting in the way of an agreement.

Guest: Jim Tankersley, who covers economic and tax policy for The New York Times.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily

Background reading:

• After posting on Twitter that he was ending talks, President Trump reversed course, raising the stimulus offer to $1.8 trillion. But his own party may reject that plan, handing Democrats fresh leverage.
• While Democrats hold out for more concessions, deep divisions among Senate Republicans stand in the way of any relief bill.